DID YOU READ

The Sandbox: Shake Your Money Maker

Console gaming changed forever in 1996, when Nintendo’s N64 was released with a controller featuring an analog thumbstick. It was a design not seen since the days of the Atari 5200, and one that would not only be copied by each successive console, but that would also help usher in an age of 3D gaming that took full advantage of the new apparatus. And the N64’s interactive legacy wouldn’t end there — an empty slot on the back of the controller would soon present Nintendo with the means to further revolutionize the medium. At first used only for memory cards, that vacant port realized its full potential on July 1, 1997, when the highly anticipated scrolling shooter “Star Fox 64” hit store shelves with an included Rumble Pack that, when plugged into the controller during gameplay, would shake in harmony with the on-screen action. The era of physical feedback from your entertainment had begun, and continues to this day, with rumble — as evidenced by Sony’s 2007 decision to replace the PS3’s original Sixaxis controller (rumble-free, reportedly because of a lawsuit) with a new, rumbly version known as the Dual Shock 3 — now an integral component of video gaming.

Rather than be used in ways that would seriously expand your gaming experience, rumble effects are generally just employed to enhance a sense of immersion. And they’ve proven unquestionably successful at that, to the point where you felt an appreciable loss when, after years of handling the PS2’s rumble-equipped Dual Shock, Sony forced gamers to make do with a next-gen console sans vibration. That deprivation is most acutely felt in first-person shooters, where the controller acts as a surrogate for the on-screen character’s firearms. Not feeling your hands rumble when pulling the trigger of a machine gun or rocket launcher is significant, diminishing the impression that you’re directly involved in the proceedings. In a small but important way, rumbling controllers break down the wall between the virtual and real worlds, creating the sense that we have some tangible connection to the digitized action.

If this simple bit of technology has proven itself to be such an essential part of gaming, then why haven’t the movies taken a similar tack? The answer, of course, is that they have — 50 years ago, when William Castle debuted his 1959 horror film “The Tingler.” Having once served as second-unit director on Orson Welles’ “The Lady From Shanghai,” Castle had by this point in his career established a reputation in Hollywood as a B-movie maven fond of gimmicks, and it was with “The Tingler” that he made his most indelible mark. Starring Vincent Price, the film concerned a centipede-ish creature that attached to the base of people’s spines and could only be destroyed by screaming. Publicity hound that he was, Castle sought to literally make his audience both tingle and scream by retrofitting certain theaters showing the film with joy buzzers under the seats, a trick that — along with his decision to hire actors to pose as moviegoers and faint during key moments — aimed to heighten the terror.

Like most of Castle’s stunts, it didn’t. And though plenty of other gimmicks meant to enhance the theatrical experience have come and gone in since — from 3-D (back again, like a virus, in 2009) to 1960’s Smell-O-Vision, revived as Odorama by John Waters for 1981’s “Polyester” — none have proven to be more than a passing fancy. This failure surely has something to do with the fact that, while video games create clear cause-and-effect relationships with their consumers, the same isn’t true of films, and so creating sensory links between entertainment that’s passively watched and those doing the watching inevitably comes off as a corny prank. But don’t go making such bold proclamations within earshot of D-Box Technologies, a Quebec firm that designs and produces home theater chairs and couches customized with a patented rumble feature (known as “D-Box Motion Code”) that offers a sophisticated version of the feedback traditionally conveyed through game controllers.

Videos

Your Portlandia Personality Test

Carrie and Fred understand that although we have so much in common, we’re each so beautifully unique and different. To help us navigate those differences, Portlandia has found an easy and honest way to embrace our special selves in the form of a progressive new traffic system: a specific lane for every kind of driver. It’s all in honor of the show’s 8th and final season, and it’s all presented by Subaru.

Ready to find out who you really are? Match your personality to a lane and hop on the expressway to self-understanding.

Lane 10: Trucks Piled With Junk

Your junk is falling out of your trunk. Shake a tail light, people — this lane is for you.

Lane 33: Twins

You’re like a Gemini, but waaaay more pedestrian. Maybe you and a friend just wear the same outfits a lot. Who cares, it’s just twinning enough to make you feel special.

Lane 27: Broken Windows

Bad luck follows you around and everyone knows it. Your proverbial seat is always damp from proverbial rain. Is this the universe telling you to swallow your pride? Yes.

Lane 69: Filthy Cars

You’re all about convenience. Getting your car washed while you drive is a no-brainer.

Lane 43: Newly Divorced Singles

It’s been a while since you’ve driven alone, and you don’t know the rules of the road anymore. What’s too fast? What’s too slow? Are you sending the right signals? Don’t worry, the breakdown lane is nearby if you need it.

Still can’t find a lane to match your personality? Check out all the videos here. And see the final season of Portlandia this spring on IFC.

Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide

It’s the final countdown to Christmas and thanks to IFC’s movie marathon all Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, you can revel in classic ’80s films AND find inspiration for your last-minute gifts. Here are our recommendations, if you need a head start:

Musical Instrument

Great analog entertainment substitute when you refuse to give your kid the Nintendo Switch they’ve been drooling over.

Breakfast In Bed

Any significant other or child would appreciate these Uncle Buck-approved flapjacks. Just make sure you’re not stuck on clean up duty.

Cocktail Supplies

You’ll need them to get through the holidays.

Dance Lessons

So you can learn to shake-shake-shake (unless you know ghosts willing to lend a hand).

Comfy Clothes

With all the holiday meals, there may be some…embigenning.

Get even more great inspiration all Christmas Eve and Day on IFC, and remember…

Celebrating Portlandia One Sketch at a Time

Most people measure time in minutes, hours, days, years…At IFC, we measure it in sketches. And nothing takes us way (waaaaaay) back like Portlandia sketches. Yes, there’s a Portlandia milepost from every season that changed the way we think, behave, and pickle things. In honor of Portlandia’s 8th and final season, Subaru presents a few of our favorites.